Steam flow control system



Jan. 12, 1954 R. F. SCHAUB STEAM mow CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 2, 1950INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT GEFiQE H. Schaub Engineering00., Inc., Chicago, Ill.

an Illinois corporation Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,852

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to steam fiow control systems and moreparticularly to systems for controlling the supply of steam to aplurality of steam using units.

It has been proposed heretofore to circulate an excess quantity of steamthrough the majority of the units in an installation and to utilize thesteam discharged from such units to operate the remainder of the unitsin the installation. Such systems have employed accumulators to receivethe discharge from the primary units and separate the steam therein fromthe condensate. One such system is shown, for example, in the copendingapplication of Fred H. Schuab, Serial No. 234, filed January 2, 1948,now matured into Patent No. 2,532,951.

The present invention has for one of its objects the simplification of asystem of this type to eliminate the accumulator and to effect theseparation of steam and condensate discharged from the primary units inthe steam header.

Another object is to provide a steam flow control system including arelatively large horizontal return header for the primary units equippedwith a trap to prevent the discharge of steam therefrom in which thesteam for operating the secondary units is drawn off directly from thereturn header.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily apparent when read in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which the single figure is a diagrammatic view of a steam flowcontrol system embodying the invention.

In the system as illustrated there are a plurality of primary steamconsuming units l and a secondary steam consuming unit H which may beidentical with the primary units. The system of the present invention isapplicable to many different types of units but is particularlyapplicable to control of the steam through a plurality of ironers inlaundries and the like. For purposes of the present description thesteam consuming units are, therefore, assumed to be ironers.

Steam is supplied to the primary ironer units H) to heat them from asteam supply manifold 12 leading from a suitable boiler. The primaryunits are separately connected to the manifold through pipes I3controlled by valves l4 so that one or more of the ironers may be shutoff when desired. Discharge from the ironers is through discharge pipesI5 which contain restricting orifices [6 which tend to limit the flowthrough the primary units. The orifices [6 are connected through checkvalves I! to a horizontal return header [8 which, as illustrated, is ofrelatively large diameter. The header I 8 runs adjacent the series ofironer units and is connected at one end to a trap H] which will preventthe flow of steam from the header while permitting liquid condensate tofiow to a return pipe 2! which will return it to the boiler. Preferably,the header [8 turns downward slightly to enter the trap [9, as indicatedat 22, so that condensate accumulating in the header will be drainedquickly into the trap and the header will at no time be completelyfilled with condensate.

The secondary unit II is connected by a pipe 23 to the top part of thereturn header l8 adjacent to the trap l9. Discharge from the secondaryunit I l is through a trap 24 which will pass condensate but willsubstantially prevent the passage of steam into the condensate returnpipe 2|.

In operation of the system, when steam is supplied to the primary units,a mixture of steam and condensate will be discharged therefrom throughthe orifices it into the return header. This mixture will tend to flowtoward the trap and will separate by gravity with the steam rising tothe top of the return pipe and the condensate flowing along the bottomof the pipe into the trap. The steam from the header will flow into thesecondary unit H to heat it and condensate from the secondary unit willbe discharged through the trap 2%. While a secondary unit has beenshown, it will be understood that one or more secondary units may beemployed so that their capacity will be such as to use all of the steampassing through the return header. In this way a continuous fiow ofsteam is maintained through the primary units to prevent accumulation ofcondensate therein so that they are effectively heated. Excess steampassing through the primary units is utilized in the secondary units fortheir proper operation so that there is no waste of steam. At the sametime an extremely simple apparatus is employed in which separation ofthe condensate and live steam from the primary units is efiected in thereturn header.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described indetail herein, it will be understood that this is illustrative only andis not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention,reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A steam fiow control system comprising a plurality of steam usingunits, a steam supply header, conduits connecting a majority of saidunits directly to the header, a relatively large substantiallyhorizontal tubular return header extending adjacent to the units,conduits connecting said majority of the units to the return header andeach including a flow control restriction, trap means connected to oneend of the return header to prevent discharge of steam therefrom whilepermitting discharge of condensate, and a steam connection from upperpart of the return header adjacent to the trap to the remainder of theunits.

2. A steam flow control system comprising a plurality of steam usingunits, a steam supply header, conduits connecting a majority of saidunits directly to the header, a relatively large substantiallyhorizontal tubular return header extending adjacent to the units,conduits connecting said majority of the units to the return header andeach including a flow control restriction, trap means connected to oneend of the return header to prevent discharge of steam therefrom whilepermitting discharge of condensate, a steam connection from the upperpart of the return header adjacent the trap means to the remainder ofthe units, and separate trap means connected to the remainder of theunits to prevent discharge of steam therefrom while permitting dischargeof condensate.

ROBERT F. SCHAUB.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,968,171 Reiss et al. July 31, 1934 2,341,738 Olin Feb. 15,1944 2,434,580 Noble Jan. 13, 1948 2,532,951 Schaub Dec. 5, 1950

